A key detail is a word or phrase that gives important information about an event, such as who, what, when, where, why, or how. Key details are important pieces of information that support the main idea of a text. They can also be referred to as important facts or evidence from the text that show the main idea. Key details help readers to better understand the main idea of a passage and make connections between different pieces of information. They can include information about characters, setting, problem, major events, and resolution in a story. In informational text, key details can be words or phrases that help readers answer questions, give clues about the meaning of unfamiliar words, or help readers make sense of what they are reading. Identifying key details takes practice and involves reading for content and understanding what is being read.